Melbourne Cricket Ground Pitch Rated Unsatisfactory for Ashes Test

The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) has been assigned an 'Unsatisfactory' rating for the pitch used in the fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England, which concluded after just two days of play. The decision, made by Mr. Jeff Crowe of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, resulted in the venue receiving one demerit point under the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.

In his assessment, Mr. Crowe highlighted the pitch's excessive favouritism towards bowlers as a key factor in the rating. He noted, “The MCG pitch was too much in favour of the bowlers. With 20 wickets falling on the first day, 16 on the second day and no batter even reaching a half-century, the pitch was ‘Unsatisfactory’ as per the guidelines and the venue gets one demerit point.”

The match began with England winning the toss and opting to field first, which immediately put pressure on the Australian batting lineup. Fast bowler Josh Tongue led England's bowling attack, securing figures of 5 wickets for 45 runs, as Australia was dismissed for a total of 152 runs.

Despite having a modest target to chase, England struggled in the challenging conditions, getting bowled out for 110 runs in just 30 overs. The first day saw an astonishing total of 20 wickets fall, a rarity in Test cricket.

Australia resumed their batting on the same day, managing to post 132 runs in their second innings, with Travis Head top-scoring with 46 runs, the highest individual score in the match. England then successfully chased down the target, achieving 113 runs for the loss of six wickets, with notable contributions from Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, and Jacob Bethell.

The match concluded with a total of 36 wickets falling in just 142 overs, a performance that drew mixed reactions from players and spectators alike, given that no batsman managed to reach the milestone of 50 runs throughout the Test.

Despite England's victory, which marked their first Test win on Australian soil since 2011, Australia has already retained the Ashes after winning the first three matches of the series. The final Test of the series is set to take place at the Sydney Cricket Ground, commencing on January 4, 2026.